What to do, where to go, and what to eat (and drink) in Providence, Rhode Island.

This is Spilling the Beans, where plugged-in baristas give us the lowdown on where to go, what to do, and what to eat (and drink) in their hometown.

Diana and JP Murton, owners of delightful cafe The Shop in Providence, Rhode Island, met while they were still living in New York. They both worked for Blue Hill ("It was a crazy time," said Diana) but were drawn back to Diana's hometown by a growing food scene and what JP called a "magic sauce of a location": close to upper New England, New York, and Boston. Well, that and the beach, old-school Italian served at a VFW hall, karaoke, and bacon that knows no rival. Let the Murtons be your guides to Providence—the ideal summer getaway.

Christian Harder

The front desk at the Dean Hotel. Photo: Christian Harder

Where should we stay?The Dean Hotel. It’s along the lines of an Ace Hotel. The rooms aren't spacious, but they are very well-appointed. In the lobby, there's a Bolt Coffee kiosk, a German beer hall, a dark-and-sexy cocktail bar, and the only karaoke bar in Providence. If you're staying in an Airbnb, we'd say to stay on the West Side or just outside of College Hill, where there are beautiful former mansions carved into smaller apartments.

Where should we grab breakfast?Kitchen. You might have to wait in a little line, but it's worth it for the one-man show and phenomenal bacon—cut super thick, sourced from a local farmer, and smoked in-house. If you don’t feel like waiting in that line, go to Nick's on Broadway. The cassoulet is the only choice. For a full sit-down brunch with cocktails, go to Cook and Brown Public House. They have a rice pudding that will make you lose your mind. See also: the vegetable hash.

Christian Harder

The Bolt Coffee outpost at the Dean Hotel. Photo: Christian Harder

Where to get a great cup of coffee?The single best cup of coffee is at Bolt. They are so committed to the science of coffee without trailing on hospitality. If you want to get outside of the city, go to Angelina’s, even though it's a 40-minute trip. It’s right by the water in Bristol.

The view of the stunning Providence Athenaeum from the mezzanine. Photo: Cat Laine

Best place to see great art?The RISD Museum is so amazing and it’s free every Sunday. Currently, there's a spectacular Todd Oldham exhibit there. Then there's this other place called The Steel Yard; it’s craftsmen who make ceramics and other functional items. It’s going to explode soon, but it’s not heavily trafficked yet. One other don’t-miss place is across the street from the RISD Museum: The Athenaeum. It's like walking onto a Harry Potter set—the perfect place to have quiet time or get some work done.

Tried-and-true old-school restaurants?Mike’s Kitchen is a true old-school red sauce joint in a VFW hall. It’s only open a couple of days a week. Olneyville New York System It’s a hot weiner joint that serves fabulous mystery meat in a bun. It's probably a health code violation but they used to rack them all the way up their arms and dress them with "the works" before serving.

Adriana Gallo

Behind the scenes prep at Oberlin. Photo: Adriana Gallo

Hottest new restaurants in town?Persimmon is opening this week. They've been influenced by Blue Hill in New York, and it's in a renovated, French-inspired diner. Then, 40 minutes south of us is Matunuck Oyster Bar. It started as an oyster farm but now it also has an outdoor oyster bar with great food, including a linguine and clams (loaded with Little Necks, chopped quahogs, and flakes of locally caught fish). If you want to feel the best of living in Rhode Island, sit outside on that patio on a sunny day. Birch and Oberlin are two others. Both are very different restaurants but they're just spot-on. Birch is more of a tasting menu and Oberlin is tapas-style. The technique is so superb and precise, but it still feels warm and accessible. The other one is Tallulah's Taqueria, and that's been hugely influential in improving the food scene in Providence. We always get the tacos, tortas, and the Veracruz-style shrimp cocktail and ceviche.

The places to return to again and again?Al Son de Mi Barrio, located about mile past the tourist trap-y main drag, has the most authentic Mexican food. You should probably speak Spanish if you want to be taken care of, but order everything on the menu. If you're at the other location, walk over to the extra picnic tables in the neighboring parking lot with beer in a brown bag. Another one is Ebisu, which serves really solid Japanese food, like shabu shabu, fried chicken skins, and Brussels sprouts. We also love Den Den for Korean-style food, like bibimbap and Korean pancakes.

Christopher Almeida

The Eddy's bar in full force. Photo: Christopher Almeida

Best cocktail bar in town?The Eddy is phenomenal. They do cocktails on tap, but we always ask for bartender's choice. There are a lot of bartender's choice places that let people down, but this place executes.

Best brewery to spend the day at?Trinity Brewhouse is the place to hang and have a good time. Then there's Foolproof, which makes one of my favorite New England Beers, called La Ferme Urbaine. It's a saison but it doesn't taste like it's trying to copy a Belgian Beer. Long Live Beerworks just opened, and that guy knows what he's doing. If you want a beer bar, try The Malted Barley.

Best place to see live music?There have been several festivals that have come through Providence recently. India Point Park now hosts reggae fests and a small jazz fest. Then there's a place called Nick-A-Nee's—a dive bar with a constant stream of music. All of the local musicians who are solid have played there multiple times. The Columbus Theatre is where you can see larger acts like The Tallest Man on Earth.

Courtesy of Ogie's Trailer Park

No good (or everything good) can come of a boozy punch bowl like this one at Ogie's Trailer Park. Photo: Courtesy of Ogie's Trailer Park Staff

Best place to get into trouble for the night?In the summertime, it’s the waterfront. There’s nothing exciting about the particular places there but it's a great spot to listen to music and drink. If we were in our neighborhood, we'd go to a little dive bar called The Point—a great neighborhood place for all age groups with a little backyard. It's nothing fancy, but they can make a good cocktail. Then Ogie’s Trailer Park is somewhere things can get out of hand. It serves tater tot-style food and grilled cheese that's really well done in an indoor-outdoor space. It’s edging toward hipster. From there you'd probably end up at karaoke.

Where to eat when the party's over?Olneyville New York System, again. That and Haven Brothers, a food truck right next to City Hall, have been there forever.

John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

The bridge to Jamestown at sunset. Photo: John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

Daytrip?If you're going in the daytime, without a doubt go to Jamestown. Go to Beavertail, a state park at the southern tip of Jamestown and one of the rare places in the world where you can feel exactly where you are. You can wander up and down the boulders near the ocean and feel how rugged the New England coast is. Yes, there's a lighthouse. On the weekends, there's this amazing bakery called The Village Hearth Bakery. It's owned by a couple that spends the rest of the week sourcing their ingredients and grinding their own flour. Their sticky bun is the Platonic ideal: it's perfectly small, sweet, and loaded with butter—really something special. Also: their pizzas.

At night, explore Newport. Go to Stoneacre Pantry for dinner. You feel like you've been there 5,000 times before. It's not fancy, but it's completely transporting. Then you can walk around and see live bands.

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